Toughness is the ability to handle a load which is implied in a very short time frame, i.e., an impact. It is typically measured by charpy or similar impact measurements. It is important for chipping resistance.xavierdoc wrote: Could you explain the difference between "Low toughness... and edge stability" yet "high compression resistance and wear resistance"?
Compression resistance is a form of strength, the ability to handle a load which is applied over a very long time, specifically it is a compressive load (squashing). It is typically measured by a Rockwell measurement. It keeps the edge from getting dented and is also highly correlated to the property which keeps the edge from rolling.
Wear resistance is the ability to resist material loss by a scraping effect, it is normally measured by pin on disk or similar measurements, i.e., put something hard on a piece of steel and see how much material you can scrape off. It allows a steel to hold a low to moderate sharpness for a long time.
Edge stability is a measure of how well a steel will hold a very high sharpness at a very low edge angle.
